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Buyer demand for new homes remains strong, according to the most recent Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders. The Index – which measures builders' confidence in the new home market on a scale where any number above 50 indicates more builders view conditions as good than poor – was at 64 in July. Additionally, individual components measuring current sales conditions and expectations over the next six months both scored 70 or above. Robert Dietz, NAHB's chief economist, says buyer demand is strong but there are other factors slowing the rate of ...

The vast majority of surveyed Americans say they believe owning a house is a solid investment, according to a new survey from Digital Risk. And that doesn't just include homeowners and prospective buyers. In fact, 83 percent of renters agreed with current homeowners who said that buying a house was a good investment. Jeff Taylor, managing director for Digital Risk, says the perception of homeownership has come a long way over the past several years. “It's important to remember how far we've come in a decade,” Taylor said. “The fact that the American dream of ownin...

Your credit score is a pretty significant number. Though you may not think about it all that often, it has an effect on your ability to qualify for a loan and the terms you'll receive if you're approved. In other words, your credit score can cost you money. That's why it's important to maintain good financial habits and check in on your history from time to time, in case there are any errors that can be cleared up. But what is an average score? Well, according to FICO, scores range between 300 and 850 and the current average is at an all-time high. In fact, the most recent data...

One of the main obstacles potential home buyers face is the fear that they won't be approved for a mortgage. Believing that you don't make enough, have too much debt, or can't afford to buy a house is one reason many people don't even bother to get in touch with their lender to explore their financing options. If you're someone who wants to buy a house, but thinks they won't make the cut, Fannie Mae's quarterly Mortgage Lender Sentiment Survey has some good news for you. According to the results of the survey – which asks senior executives at lending instituti...

For the most part, people stick with the name their parents gave them and don't ever give it too much thought. Sure, you've got the power to change it to just about anything you want but, unless you're stuck with something horrible, why would you go through the bother? After all, your name doesn't determine much of anything beyond what people call you, right? Well, according to new data from Zillow, your name may have something to do with the house you buy. For example, homeowners with the names Stuart and Alison own the most valuable homes in the country, with a median price o...

From all accounts, there are a lot of Americans interested in buying a home this year. Whether it's because of sustained job market improvement or mortgage rates that remain low compared to where they've been historically, home buyers are ready to buy. However, in many markets, there are too few homes available for sale to accommodate the level of buyer interest. Because of this, home sales numbers may start to reflect the imbalance. For example, the National Association of Realtors' most recent Pending Home Sales Index shows the number of contracts to buy homes last month was down...